Steve King

IOWA's 4th DISTRICT

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after introducing his American Future Healthcare Act, that would give Americans back the rightful control over their own healthcare decisions:

“The American people have rejected, as they have done for the past 6 years, the President’s failed healthcare law, asking both Congress and the 2016 presidential nominees for an alternative,” said King. “Whether it was the botched implementation or the fact that millions of people had their health insurance plans cancelled because they were suddenly in violation of ‘essential health benefits,’ Obamacare has been nothing short of a complete failure. It is time this act of hook, crook and legislative shenanigan be abolished and our health care system restored. That is why I introduced the Obamacare Repeal Act in January 2015, and why I am introducing The American Future Healthcare Act of 2016.

My bill would bring an end to this nightmare by giving the American people the ability to make their own healthcare decisions by increasing deductible healthcare savings account (HSA) annual contribution limits to $10,000 per individual and $20,000 per joint return. In this way, HSAs would allow individuals to keep the dollars that they do not use and, unlike under current law, Americans could accumulate money in their HSAs even if they have high deductible health plans (HDHPs) or even no insurance at all. HSAs could also be used to pay health insurance premiums, regardless of the type of health insurance the individual has.

Unlike Obamacare, the American Future Healthcare Act actually encourages individuals and families to be fiscally responsible by saving for their healthcare expenses. By encouraging healthcare accountability over a lifetime, my bill will serve as an important piece in ensuring that our citizens and nation thrive in the decades ahead.”

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after introducing his substitute amendment to the Continuing Resolution (CR) that would set the discretionary budget at the $1.04 trillion level and would include the defunding of fourteen major provisions:

“It is the obligation of Congress to work towards balancing the budget and to restore its Article I constitutional authority.” said King. “My substitute amendment to the CR would accomplish both by setting the discretionary budget at the $1.04 trillion level, a $30 billion reduction from the current level, and defunding the fourteen following provisions:

With an imminent Trump presidency, Congress can finally fulfill the promises we made to our constituents to balance an out of control budget filled with unconstitutional provisions and fight for the American people.”

“Last year, both the Senate and the House passed a resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res.22), led by Senator Ernst to scrap this harmful rule. It passed each chamber with bipartisan support, but our current president vetoed it anyway.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Iowa's U.S. Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley and Representatives Steve King (R-04), Rod Blum (R-01) and David Young (R-03) sent President-elect Donald J. Trump a letter urging him to scrap the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in the first few days of his presidency.

In the letter, members of the Iowa delegation wrote, “This misguided WOTUS rule is an economic assault on small businesses, manufacturing and agriculture, and threatens the very livelihood of our fellow Iowans. These industries are the backbone of this country, especially in rural America. The election results signaled that Americans are ready for the last eight years of EPA’s power grabbing mentality to come to an end.”

They added, “Last year, both the Senate and the House passed a resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res.22), led by Senator Ernst to scrap this harmful rule. It passed each chamber with bipartisan support, but our current president vetoed it anyway.”

The members urged strong action, concluding, “… we strongly encourage you to use all the tools at your disposal to free the American people from this blatant overreach. We also respectfully urge you to direct your EPA to craft a common-sense rule that clarifies the scope of the CWA and does so by taking into consideration the input of all stakeholders.”

Click here or see below to view the full letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump.

November 21, 2016

The Honorable Donald Trump

The President-elect

Trump Tower

725 5th Ave

New York, NY 10022

We write to you today to express our strong concern about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS), and we respectfully urge you to do everything within your power as chief executive to stop this harmful rule in the first days of your presidency.

This misguided WOTUS rule is an economic assault on small businesses, manufacturing and agriculture, and threatens the very livelihood of our fellow Iowans. These industries are the backbone of this country, especially in rural America. The election results signaled that Americans are ready for the last eight years of EPA’s power grabbing mentality to come to an end.

As you know, the Clean Water Act (CWA) was created to address pollution problems in the nation’s navigable waters and improve water quality through a local-state-federal partnership. While we fully support this goal, the scope of the expanded WOTUS definition far exceeds what was originally intended by Congress when it enacted the CWA. Under the guise of protecting clean water, the current administration’s EPA is not just seeking to expand its jurisdiction over waters not originally covered under the CWA, but also on private land. For example, the WOTUS rule could give EPA extensive power to regulate activities on 97 percent of the land in Iowa. This rule will no doubt leave our nation’s job creators in a wave of legal uncertainty, compliance burdens, and increased costs.

Last year, both the Senate and the House passed a resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res.22), led by Senator Ernst to scrap this harmful rule. It passed each chamber with bipartisan support, but our current president vetoed it anyway. Thankfully a nationwide stay has been placed on the rule by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, but it could be years until this litigation is settled. Meanwhile the business owners, farmers, ranchers, and private landowners in communities across the country are left with uncertainty, and are concerned that the EPA will continue to take steps to implement the rule through a piecemeal approach.

As mentioned above, we strongly encourage you to use all the tools at your disposal to free the American people from this blatant overreach. We also respectfully urge you to direct your EPA to craft a common-sense rule that clarifies the scope of the CWA and does so by taking into consideration the input of all stakeholders.

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after President Obama approved Gov. Terry Branstad’s request to declare 19 Iowa counties impacted by severe flooding on September 21-23 of this year as a federal disaster area.

“I am thankful that President Obama has granted Gov. Branstad’s request and the Iowa congressional delegation’s appeal to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 19 Iowa counties devastated by flooding earlier this year,” said King. “Providing federal funding under the Public Assistance Program, this declaration will put in place both long-term and short-term programs to help re-build our communities. It will also allow for hazard mitigation activities throughout the state to strengthen existing infrastructure and minimize damage from future storms or possible flooding. Although our state’s loss has been sobering, Iowans are smart, hardworking and resilient people who are diligently putting their lives back together.”

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement concerning the ambush and murder of two Iowa police officers early this morning in Des Moines:

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families of our two Des Moines metro police officers who were tragically murdered early this morning,” said King. “This is a sickening tragedy experienced by our state and Nation today, and this is a very important time for us to stand together in support of our men and women in Blue. Please join me in continued prayer for the affected families and for all of our law enforcement officers. They have lost two of their own and we have lost two of our heroes.”

Congressman King has ordered all of his district offices to lower their flags to half-staff in honor of the two officers whose lives were tragically lost today.

Washington D.C. – The entire Iowa congressional delegation today urged President Obama to support Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s request to declare 19 Iowa counties a federal disaster area. The declaration would make the counties eligible to receive federal aid for the damage inflicted by high winds, severe thunderstorms, heavy rains, hail and flash flooding and resulted in riverine flooding from Sept. 21 through Oct. 3, 2016.

“The Governor determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments to handle effectively and federal assistance is needed,” the delegation wrote. “In many locations, the flooding was at a near record level, second only to the flood of 2008.”

We respectfully ask that you grant the request made by Governor Terry Branstad for a declaration of a major disaster for the State of Iowa as a result of severe weather that produced high winds, severe thunderstorms, heavy rains, hail, flash flooding, and resulted in riverine flooding from September 21 through October 3, 2016. This weather caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property. The nineteen counties included in this request are Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Howard, Linn, Mitchell, Winneshiek, and Wright.

The Governor determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments to handle effectively and federal assistance is needed. In many locations, the flooding was at a near record level, second only to the flood of 2008.

Thank you for your prompt consideration and declaration of this major disaster for the State of Iowa.

The delegation states in the letter, “The State of Iowa and its federal partners have coordinated well to mitigate the impact of this flooding; however, much remains to be done. While we do not yet have a clear picture of the full scope of the damage, assessments are underway, and we will soon know more about the extent of the impact of these weather events. The initial damage assessment reports have been sobering, though losses may have been even greater and more devastating if not for the outstanding efforts made by the emergency managers of each of the affected counties, and we would like to recognize and thank them for their commendable work.”

Iowans are smart, hardworking and resilient people working diligently to put their lives back together. The delegation wishes to express their full and undivided support for any request made by the Governor to the President to declare the affected areas a federal disaster, should final damage assessments prove that such a request is justified.

As you well know, severe weather and flooding, starting on the evening September 21st of this year, has affected nearly one-third of Iowa. This disaster has damaged homes, businesses, agricultural land and resources and disrupted the lives and livelihoods of thousands.

The weather events on September 21st and September 22nd included torrential rainfall, with as much as 10 inches of rain falling in one location within a few hours, localized flash flooding, damaging winds, hail, and at least one tornado. Areas directly affected by severe flooding include, but are not limited to, nearly the entirety of the Upper Mississippi River Basin in Iowa. More specifically, this includes flooding within the Coon-Yellow Watershed, the Upper Iowa Watershed, the Turkey Watershed, the Grant-Little Maquoketa Watershed, the Upper Wapsipinicon Watershed, the Shell Rock Watershed, and the majority of the Cedar River Basin, including areas along the Iowa River in the Upper Iowa and Middle Iowa watersheds. This unprecedented flooding resulted in a record crest of the Shell Rock River at Greene and Shell Rock, 1.1 feet above the previous record crest set in 2008.

The State of Iowa and its federal partners have coordinated well to mitigate the impact of this flooding. We appreciate the many updates throughout the response and now during the recovery process. However, we know much remains to be done.

While we do not yet have a clear picture of the full scope of the damage, we know that the joint damage assessments are underway. The initial damage assessment reports have been sobering, though losses may have been dramatically greater and more devastating if not for the outstanding efforts made by the state, cities, and county emergency managers of the affected areas. We would like to recognize and thank everyone for their commendable work.

As the smart, hardworking, resilient people of Iowa work diligently to put their lives back together and move forward, we express our full and undivided support for any request that you may make of the President to declare these areas a federal disaster, should final damage assessments prove that such a request is justified.

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Steve King, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. Dave Loebsack, Rep. Rod Blum, and Rep. David Young are asking the top House and Senate committee leaders to retain Iowa projects in the final version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 for potential congressional consideration later this fall.

The Iowa projects are:

Cedar River, Cedar Rapids. The language calls for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the completion of the authorized project for flood damage reduction and flood risk management.

Cedar Rapids endured a 500-year flood in 2008 and worked with the Corps of Engineers to develop a project to address that flood risk. Congress authorized the project in the Water Resources and Reform Act of 2014. To date, no construction funds for this project have been budgeted. This provision clearly shows the intent of Congress for this project to be a priority at the Corps of Engineers. This provision was included in both the Senate and House versions of the bill.

Corps levees that affect community-owned levees. The bill language says that where federally owned and operated levees increase flood risk and compromise the accreditation of community-owned local flood protection systems, it shall be the policy of the Corps of Engineers to act expeditiously with actions required to authorize, fund, identify, and implement improvements to reduce and negate negative impacts to community-owned flood protection system accreditation.

Des Moines’s DM-I levee is hydraulically connected to the Red Rock Reservoir Remedial Works – Southeast Des Moines/Southwest Pleasant Hill Remedial Works (SEDM) Levee. The SEDM levee is primarily operated and maintained by the Corps of Engineers Red Rock Project Office. FEMA considers the DM-I and SEDM levees as part of the same system of flood control so it is required that SEDM be accredited in order for DM-I to be accredited. This provision instructs the Corps of Engineers to act expeditiously with all actions that impacts Des Moines’ flood protection system accreditation. This provision was included in the House version of the bill.

Dubuque. The bill language calls for a study to determine the feasibility of modifying the flood protection system to increase the level of flood protection and reduce flood damages.

Dubuque is actively working on addressing all of its flood protection needs. This study will assist Dubuque’s efforts by determining if additional protection or modifications are needed along the Mississippi River. This provision was included in both the Senate and House versions of the bill.

A Government Accountability Office study on the Corps of Engineers’ methodology and performance metrics used to calculate benefit-cost ratios and evaluate construction projects.

There are concerns with projects in Iowa, such as in Cedar Rapids, and across the country regarding the methodology used to calculate benefit-cost ratios during the feasibility study portion of construction projects. This ratio is used by the Office of Management and Budget to prioritize projects. This study will review the methodology and performance metrics used to calculate the benefit-cost ratios used by the Corps of Engineers. This provision was included in both the Senate and House versions of the bill.

Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Comprehensive Flood Risk Management. The bill language calls for a study of the levees along the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers on a system-wide basis, to evaluate the flood damage risks on a system-wide rather than local basis, and justify projects on that basis.

This review was recommended by the Corps of Engineers in a 2008 study and by the Secretary of the Army in a 2009 letter to Congress to address the fact that a rehabilitation of a levee at a single location often cannot be cost-justified but each location is an integral part of a levee system that provides essential flood protection benefits. This provision was included in the Senate version of the bill.

The delegation letter to the leaders of the relevant committee leaders is available here. The text follows.

September 29, 2016

The Honorable James Inhofe The Honorable Bill Shuster

Chairman Chairman

Senate Committee on Environment & House Committee on Transportation &

Public Works Infrastructure

Dirksen 410 Rayburn 2251

Washington DC 20510 Washington DC 20515

The Honorable Barbara Boxer The Honorable Peter DeFazio

Ranking Member Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Environment & House Committee on Transportation &

Public Works Infrastructure

Dirksen 410 Rayburn 2251

Washington DC 20510 Washington DC 20515

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:

We respectfully request the following provisions be retained in the final version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016.

Corps Levees that Affect Community Owned Levees. Where federally owned and operated levees increase flood risk and compromise the accreditation of community-owned local flood protection systems, it shall be the policy of the Corps of Engineers to act expeditiously with actions required to authorize, fund, identify, and implement improvements to reduce and negate negative impacts to community-owned flood protection system accreditation.

Dubuque. Study to determine the feasibility of modifying the flood protection system to increase the level of flood protection and reduce flood damages.

Government Accountability Office study on the Corps of Engineers’ methodology and performance metrics used to calculate benefit-cost ratios and evaluate construction projects.

Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Comprehensive Flood Risk Management. Study of the levees along the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers on a system-wide basis, to evaluate the flood damage risks on a system-wide rather than local basis, and justify projects on that basis.

Thank you for your time and attention to these important provisions for Iowa.

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after submitting his substitute conservative Continuing Resolution (CR), H.J. RES. 99, that would set the discretionary budgetary level at $1.04 trillion, and will include defunding fourteen of President Obama’s unconstitutional major policies and programs:

“It is the obligation of Congress to restore its Article I Constitutional authority by ultimately working towards balancing the budget,” said King. “As a result of Congress failing to make any progress in that direction, I have introduced a substitute conservative CR that would set the discretionary budget at the $1.04 trillion level, fulfilling the promise Congress made to the American people in the Budget Control Act of 2011 and making a nearly $30 billion annual savings from the current level. It would also eradicate the fourteen following provisions:

Running through February 2017, this CR would defund wasteful and unconstitutional spending while supporting and defending Congress’s Constitutional authority. It is time Congress fulfilled the promises we all made to our constituents in 2014. Right now, the future of our nation and the future of the next generation hangs in the balance. Instead of kicking the can down the road by passing a clean CR, we are situated to actually fight to defund these items, fight for our budget, and fight for the American people.”

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve King released the following statement in response to the serious flooding in Iowa:

“Iowans have been impacted by severe flooding, in some areas above 2008 levels,” said King. “I recall the epic 2008 flood and the way neighbor helped neighbor throughout much of the same area. Iowans are lifting each other out of the water and muck again, setting the standard. I have been reviewing flood damage in the communities impacted including Clarksville, Shell Rock, Greene and Charles City today and hearing from those affected, emergency workers, and volunteers. My staff has also been out sandbagging and helping in whatever way necessary. My prayers are with all who are being tested – Iowans will rebuild and my staff and I are here to help in anyway that we can.”

Keep track of severe weather and flood forecasts, and take them seriously. To do that:

Monitor newspaper, radio and TV reports of current and predicted weather conditions;

Keep a NOAA Weather radio turned on and charged up to get alerts around the clock;

Set mobile devices to alert with the latest weather information. Make it easy by downloading and using a free FEMA app, which provides real-time weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations anywhere in Iowa or the nation. The app also provides valuable safety tips to help families prepare for, and recover from, more than 20 natural and man-made hazards, including how to make a family communication plans, a customizable checklist of emergency supplies and maps of open shelters and disaster recovery centers. The app is available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

Plan for the Worst:

Severe weather can strike suddenly so have a plan to stay safe and take life-saving action if needed. The plan should include:

Actions to take if it’s necessary to shelter-in-place;

Where each person/pet will go to get out of danger;

How each person/pet will get to a place of safety;

How family and friends will communicate with one another if evacuation to or from different locations becomes necessary.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Committee Assignments

Steve King grew up in a law enforcement family in Storm Lake, Iowa. He attended Denison Community High School, where he met Marilyn Kelly, whom he married in 1972. They have lived in Kiron for 38 years and are members of St. Martin’s Church in Odebolt. Steve and Marilyn have three grown sons and five grandchildren.

King studied math and science at Northwest Missouri State University. He started King Construction in 1975 and built the business up from one bulldozer. He brings valuable knowledge to Congress as an agribusinessman and a small business owner for 28 years. King’s oldest son now runs the construction business.

He served in the Iowa State Senate for six years where he assumed roles as Chairman of the State Government Committee and Vice Chairman of the Oversight Budget Subcommittee. He was a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Judiciary Committee, Business and Labor Committee and the Commerce Committees. He worked in the State Senate to successfully eliminate the inheritance tax, enforce workplace drug testing, enforce parenting rights, including parental notification of abortions, pass tax cuts for working Iowans, and pass the law that made English the official language in Iowa.

King was elected to Congress in 2002 to represent Iowa’s Fifth Congressional District. During the 2012 election cycle, Iowa was redistricted to four districts. King now represents the Fourth Congressional District in the 113th Congress which includes: Ames, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City and Spencer. He brings personal experience, Constitutional principles, traditional marriage and family values and the perspective of representing one of the top producing agriculture districts in the nation to the people of Iowa’s new Fourth Congressional District.

King serves on the Agriculture Committee and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition. He has long been dedicated to adding value as close to the corn stalk and bean stubble as possible, as many times as possible. The Fourth District is one of the leading agricultural production districts in America. It will lead the nation in egg and pork production and will be near the top in corn and soybean production. The Fourth District will also rank first among all 435 congressional districts in ethanol and total renewable energy production. King’s very first bill in Congress was an expansion of a tax credit to small ethanol and biodiesel producers. His language was included in the Energy Users Act of 2005, which President George W. Bush signed into law.

As 97% of Iowa’s businesses are small business, King received a special waiver to serve on the House Small Business Committee so he could work to restrict government regulations that impede the growth of business and jobs. He continues to sit on the Small Business Committee as he serves Iowa’s new Fourth District and he brings with him to the Committee firsthand knowledge of challenges faced by small business owners. He also sits on the following Subcommittees within Small Business: Agriculture, Energy and Trade; Healthcare and Technology; Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access; Contracting and Workforce.

King is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where he sits on the Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee and the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee. He believes the Constitution means what it says and that it should be read with the intent of our Founding Fathers in mind. King is never caught without a copy of the Constitution in his coat pocket.

King also chairs the Conservative Opportunity Society, a powerful and legendary House caucus that is best known for energizing Republicans to regain the majority of the House of Representatives in 1994.